Council of Europe says it is helping Ukraine prepare next stage of decentralization reform

The Secretary General of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, Mathieu Mori, told this to Ukrinform on the sidelines of an international mayors' summit in Nancy.

He noted that he had attended a Committee of Ministers meeting dedicated to Ukraine before traveling to the summit, and said he would return to take part in a weekly working group on Ukraine. He added that Ukraine had been and continued to be the Council of Europe's number one priority.

He also said the Congress was working with Ukrainian local and regional authorities, associations, parliament, government, and the Office of the President to prepare the next stage of decentralization reform. According to him, a new decentralization model was already under discussion and was being developed through an in-depth dialogue with Ukrainian stakeholders.

He said that Ukrainian communities were developing new forms of local democracy with the Congress's support. He noted that so-called "citizens' assemblies" had already been established in Kyiv, Lviv, and Rivne, and that these showed local democracy continued to function despite the war.

He added that work was also under way on preparing frameworks for future elections, both local and national.

According to him, the Council of Europe had also begun addressing the complex issue of transitional governance in liberated territories, temporarily occupied territories, and frontline communities, with the aim of supporting institutions that could ensure democracy, stability, and security in the long term.